Equitable workplaces reflect Jewish values. Learn to identify and addess bias at work with colleagues as we change our ecosystem together.
Hiring and employment processes that are more gender-equitable support organizations to help women and people of all genders rise to positions of leadership, and enable them to hire the best candidates at the same time. We bring together the coalition of the willing–those devoted to making change as advocates and ombudspeople in their workplaces and communities and those on the journey–to learn how to notice and challenge bias and to identify the diverse talent and leadership that will lead our Jewish community forward. At the same time, we work together to imagine and create equitable and just workplaces that recognize the wholeness of each person and help us, and our community, to flourish.
Our Gender Equity Advocates consider how bias and stereotyping (gender and all other kinds) affect hiring and advancement, immersing themselves in a variety of cognitive challenges that push them to examine our workplaces and reimagine how we can work more equitably, responsibly and efficiently. They examine workplace culture, consider how to navigate change flexibly, and how to understand power as it lives in our organizations as they prepare themselves to be the advocates for gender equity that our community needs. Their work is done in community and collaboration, building connections with colleagues in order to weave a network to support change. Key to our Advocates’ success is developing rich relationships with colleagues and cultivating a supportive network of peers, essential for sustained advocacy and the courage to venture beyond shared learning into real-world action.
Who should apply?
Our Gender Equity Advocates are individual professionals and lay leaders fundamental to the success of their organizations and communities, embedded in their Jewish community, as this work is done within their current roles and within community. Gender Equity Advocates ideally represent a diverse and inclusive assembly of Jewish communal professionals and volunteer lay leaders, and are prepared to serve as voices for all kinds of change toward gender-equitable and less biased processes, language and behaviors across our Jewish organizations. Each of our cohort members, by virtue of their advocacy, role, interest and passion is thus positioned to build individual, organizational and communal capacity.
We hope that participants in our programs, learning and advocacy efforts embody these values and skills as well. All those who are curious, passionate and eager to learn, within their current professional and/or volunteer roles, are invited to join us as we dive deeply into the work of making our Jewish community a more gender-equitable space.
We especially welcome participation from marginalized communities inside our larger Jewish community. This gives us all a chance to learn from a diversity of voices and to include the wide array of perspectives that make up the wisdom in our communal room.
Men are actively encouraged to apply. We are only too aware that men can amplify the voices of women and non-binary people, those without their privilege. This enables men to do rich inner work to acknowledge their role in patriarchal systems, and outer work to engage in advocacy and changemaking. In our Jewish communal workplaces, not enough men are speaking up (yet) about or addressing gender bias and gender gaps: approximately 20% of our Gender Equity Advocates identify as men, and data from our colleagues at Leading Edge reminds us that one of the keystone causes of the gender leadership gap in our Jewish organizations is that not enough men speak out about or prioritize addressing the gender gap in top leadership. We invite men to participate in our communal Gender Equity Advocates Workshop and Seminar, as well as our Allies-focused Gender Equity Advocates Workshop and Seminar.
How we learn
Virtual Cohort Learning. Our Workshops consist of approximately 4-6 sessions, weekly (over a 4-6 week period) or over a series of months (2-3 months). Sessions engage a variety of different learning modalities, inviting active participation and deep dialogue: they are not webinar style. Most of our workshops involve some kind of short pre-work that helps our advocates prepare themselves to do the hard work of shifting mindset.
In-Person Cohort Learning are hosted by individual communities and can be either face-to-face or hybrid, combining in-person and virtual learning toward the same learning goals. Like our virtual cohorts, we include some short pre-work that helps our advocates to prepare themselves to do the hard work of shifting mindset.
Join us
Interested in participating in our next cohort? Click here to share your interest.
Gender Equity Advocates Network
All who take part in our Gender Equity Advocates Workshops are welcomed as members of our Network following the completion of our workshop series. Learn more about our Network here, and the kinds of learning, convening and connection we offer.
FAQs
